title: Anthelmintic activity of Securidaca longepedunculata (Family: Polygalaceae) root extract in mice, in vitro and in vivo.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To elucidate the pharmacological bases of oral administration of Securidaca longepedunculata (S. longepedunculata) root extract as an anthelmintic in folkloric medicine.
  
  
  METHODS
  Albino mice were infected with infective third (L3) larval stage of Heligmosomoides polygyrus (H. polygyrus) by esophageal intubation. Following establishment of the adult worms in the intestine, the mice were treated with 0-2 000 mg/kg body weight (bw) of methanolic root extract of S. longepedunculata and 100 mg/kg bw of pyrantel embonate, the reference drug in vivo. Bioactivity and larvicidal effects of the extract were tested by exposing brine shrimps (Artemia salina) to 0.00-1.00 mg/mL and the L3 stage of Heligmosomoidescontortus (H. contortus) and H. polygyrus to 0.00-2.50 mg/mL of the extract in vitro.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The percentage yield of the extract was 7.13% w/w dry matter. The brine shrimps toxicity bioassay resulted in an LC50 of 74.18 μg/mL. The extract had a significant, dose-dependent larvicidal effect on the L3 stage of H. contortus and H. polygyrus with the terminal effect of 75% and 70% at the highest exposure concentrations, respectively. The extract however, did not affect the number of worm eggs per gram (epg) of fecal materials (P<0.05) and total worm burden (twb) of adult H. polygyrus in infected mice. Treatment with pyrantel embonate significant reduced both the fecal egg count and twb to 0 compared to the untreated control (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that S. longepedunculata root extract contains potent bioactive compounds and has larvicidal effect on L3 stage of H. contortus and H. polygyrus, substantiating its use as anthelmintic in alternative medicine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Division of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E5; Cameco MS Neuroscience Research Center, Saskatoon City Hospital, Saskatoon, SK, S7K 0M7. Electronic address: rca478@mail.usask.ca.
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Adiele
authors.forename: B B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Fakae
authors.forename: I U
authors.initials: IU
authors.lastname: Isuzu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001156:Artemia / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D006188:Haemonchiasis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D006189:Haemonchus / Q000187:drug effects*; D007814:Larva / Q000187:drug effects; D016488:Medicine, African Traditional; D051379:Mice; D009351:Nematospiroides dubius / Q000187:drug effects*; D010270:Parasite Egg Count; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D031802:Securidaca / Q000737:chemistry*; D017206:Strongylida Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000871:Anthelmintics; D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: Anthelmintic; Brine shrimps; Fecal egg count; Haemonchus contortus; Heligmosomoides polygyrus; Larvicidal; Securidaca longepedunculata